Using an MIT Forum

A guide for students

Contents:

Logging in

To log in to MIT Forums and enter your discussion folder:

  1. Go to http://forums.mit.edu.
  2. Choose "Academic Conference."
  3. First use of forums leads to the "Quick Login" page. (This step is skipped during subsequent uses of the forum.) Choose the first option, for users with "username@mit.edu " email addresses.
  4. Whenever you wish to enter a forum, an MIT certificate is required. If you have no certificate, one can be obtained through a link on the forums page or from http://web.mit.edu/is/help/cert/.)
  5. Choose Course 21, then Literature, then the class number.

Joining the discussion

  1. Discussion threads are listed under the course name. Choose the thread you're interested in.
  2. You can reply to a comment by clicking on the Reply button to the right of the participant's name; or you can click on the Post message button at the bottom of the page. It makes no difference which option you choose; either one will add your message to the thread.
  3. After writing your message, click on Post my message or Cancel.
  4. After either posting or canceling the message, the forum will display the first message in the thread and the last one, plus yours (if you posted it). You can now:
    1. Change your mind about what you've written by pressing Edit or Delete, but only if you act within the first 30 minutes of posting your message.
    2. See all the messages in the thread by clicking on To top, Previous, or Show all. These buttons are located under the first message in the list, and they all have the same effect.
    3. See a condensed version of the entire thread, by clicking on Outline.